1
as in limit
a real or imaginary point beyond which a person or thing cannot go
the language in the novel really is beyond the bounds of decency
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in confines
the line or relatively narrow space that marks the outer limit of something
colored outside the bounds of the drawing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in to border
to serve as a border for
being bounded on all sides by the Alps has helped Switzerland maintain its neutrality
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in determined
fully committed to achieving a goal
I am bound and determined to write a novel before I turn 30
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bound
Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
Over the years, engineers have developed fans, heat sinks, liquid cooling loops, phase-change materials, and other technologies to keep cell temperatures within safe operating bounds.
—Etiido Uko
march 04, New Atlas, 4 Mar. 2026
Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2026
The planning area is bounded by Interstate 5 on the east, the city of Del Mar to the west, the city of Solana Beach to the north, and the University community to the south.
—News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
Big Think, 27 Oct. 2025
Vorobok searched the library’s newspaper databases as well as city directories, Sanborn maps and bound editions of the original century-old newspapers, then compiled it all online with the help of the digital services team.
—Jeff Suess, Cincinnati Enquirer, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bound
Noun
His predecessors stretched the bounds of constitutional law for years, balking at requirement that a commander in chief seek congressional approval.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
Over the years, engineers have developed fans, heat sinks, liquid cooling loops, phase-change materials, and other technologies to keep cell temperatures within safe operating bounds.
—Etiido Uko
march 04, New Atlas, 4 Mar. 2026
Verb
Over six feet tall and skinny, with a mass of reddish curls, Fleming leaps and bounds across stage while delivering riffs on the bitmoji skills of baby boomers, ballads dedicated to deceased chain craft store Joann’s Fabrics, and Celine Dion’s gamer sons.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2026
The planning area is bounded by Interstate 5 on the east, the city of Del Mar to the west, the city of Solana Beach to the north, and the University community to the south.
—News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
Adjective
Over that time, galaxies, galaxy groups, and galaxy clusters all formed bound structures.
—Big Think, 27 Oct. 2025
Vorobok searched the library’s newspaper databases as well as city directories, Sanborn maps and bound editions of the original century-old newspapers, then compiled it all online with the help of the digital services team.
—Jeff Suess, Cincinnati Enquirer, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bound
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bound
Adjective
-
Dengler endured endless torture and other miseries — escaping from prison was just the beginning of his ordeal in the jungle — but Bale plays him as a determined optimist, an indomitable spirit that cannot be crushed.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
7 Mar. 2026
-
We are both disciplined, determined and accomplished men.—
Abigail Van Buren,
Boston Herald,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The resolute tango between the personal and the practical is a hallmark of a cookbook humdinger.—
Scott Hocker,
TheWeek,
5 Mar. 2026
-
In welcoming the group during a swearing-in ceremony, Fils-Aimé made an impassioned appeal for civic engagement in Haiti and insisted on the need for his new cabinet to take resolute action.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In addition to making the streaming service easier to use and access, Blackburn is intent on delivering programming about tennis and its personalities that can lure in more casual fans.—
Lucas Shaw,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
-
For all their faults, looksmaxxers are intent on de-fetishizing this particular commodity, revealing beauty to be the product of strenuous (and often deranging) labor.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bound.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bound. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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